Wasted Plans and Utter Failures
by ani.tenshi
Summary: Why the hell did he have to listen to Naruto's advices? He should have found a sensible approach to win Sakura's affection. Snooping through her stuff was not a reasonable idea, but an invitation for disaster! *One-Shot


_This story is written for **SasuSaku Month**, an event especially dedicated to Sakura and Sasuke! The event was hosted at LiveJournal._

_**Theme:**_ Chance Meetings

_**Prompt: **_Snoop

_**Summary: **_ Why the hell did he have to listen to Naruto's advices! He should have found a sensible approach to win Sakura's affection. Snooping through her stuff was not a reasonable idea, but an invitation for disaster!

Special thanks goes to **cutecrazyice** for her tremendous help and share of ideas!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto!

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_**Wasted Plans and Utter Failures**_

_One-Shot_

The obnoxious blond was crouching on the roof of a building, keeping his eyes trained on his surroundings. His eyebrows were scrunched up in concentration as he was trying to determine if any civilian was near. While observing, he realized that he and his best friend had a good view over the entire neighborhood, the way they were positioned at two different spots on the rooftops.

"Okay, splitting up was definitely a good idea," he spoke in a hushed tone through the radio. At that moment he felt a rush of pure excitement flow through him.

In the meantime, the dark-haired boy was watching the scene with a knowing look. "Dobe, cut the stupid act," Sasuke stated nonchalantly in return, making sure to keep his voice low. At that moment he just told himself that he should have totally expected this sort of behavior from his idiot of a friend. In his opinion, it was completely unnecessary for him to strain so much over some stupid little self-assigned mission in their own village. This stupid observation was a complete waste of time, because they could sense people from miles away and he already knew that there was no one near.

"Teme, shut up," Naruto shot back as he narrowed his eyes. "I'm just being careful."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and just decided to ignore everything, because he already knew that being stupid was normal for the blond. However, he could not help himself, so he spoke in a cool tone, "What you're doing, it's completely unnecessary."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Naruto replied disinterestedly and continued with his observation. Their target was right across from his surveillance point. The apartment seemed empty, exactly as he expected, so he could not help but grin triumphantly. "Okay, I think it's clear," he said, before jumping up with much speed toward the balcony. He stood on the terrace connected to the room that they were supposed to break into.

In the next second, Sasuke stealthily followed his friend toward the balcony, using the same silent but fast approach. He was grateful that he did not have to endure more of those stupid approaches he just witnessed a minute ago.

Both of them stood with their backs pressed on the wall and shared the same look. Naruto grinned at his friend, who was leaning on the opposite side of the balcony door. The moment Naruto bended over in order to try and open the balcony door with the help of his chakra, Sasuke lifted up a hand to stop him. The blond looked at him in question with his eyebrows scrunched up in slight anger. He really could not believe that Sasuke was chickening out at this point, when they were just about to break in.

Sasuke just flashed his Sharingan as a response to his silent question, notifying the blond of his rash decision. This was Sakura's apartment and most probably, she protected it with some kind of a genjutsu – and if they were not careful, they might fall into a trap.

As Sasuke scanned the door for any genjutsu traps, Naruto spoke with a bit of mockery, "Teme, you should have just asked. Sakura-chan never uses genjutsu on her apartment." Afterward, he just sniggered because of the expression on Sasuke's face when it became obvious to him that there were no traps set.

"Hn," he grunted angrily, the irritation he felt slipping out in the open. He was really angry at her for being stupid enough to think that it was unnecessary to protect her apartment. He suddenly decided to dismiss those thoughts and talk to Sakura about it once she returned from her mission.

In the meantime, Naruto opened the door with much ease. He was the first one to enter the room with Sasuke following after him.

"Are you sure that she's on a mission?" Sasuke asked once he stepped on the carpeted floor.

The room looked so clean and that sole fact was enough for him to be severely opposed against Naruto touching something. He just knew that once the blond started snooping, the perfect order would be disrupted and, without a doubt, it would make Sakura suspect that someone touched her things without her consent.

"Of course I'm sure! I overheard her conversation with Shizune yesterday," Naruto answered, sounding a bit distracted. He was already inspecting everything with concentration, trying to figure out where would be the best place to start.

"Are you stupid? Overhearing a conversation means nothing." Sasuke glared at him with a particularly irritated look.

Naruto ignored his glare, waving his hand dismissively. "Will you just chill out? She's not here, so just stop whining."

"I should have never agreed on this," Sasuke spoke to himself, while he scanned the room with much curiosity. Despite his interest to find out more about Sakura, he was suddenly not so sure about Naruto's idea. It seemed pretty stupid now that they were standing in her room, especially since he knew that she would kill them if she found out.

Naruto was instantly into snooping mode, acting as if he owned the place, which only served to irritate Sasuke. He, on the other hand, refused to touch anything, so he just observed.

He noticed that she had the two pictures of Team Seven lined on her dresser, as if they were something precious. Sasuke did not have to think hard in order to realize that that was pretty much true. He felt a pang of guilt eat him up from the inside once he recalled the night he left her on that bench. Suddenly, he just decided that it would be better if he just ignored those pictures, because apparently one of them brought some unpleasant memories from the past. At the moment he just tried to focus on something else.

Seeing the light cream and pink colors in her room made him think about her personality. He thought that he could barely find any connection between the strong independent kunoichi and the innocent girl she obviously was when sleeping between these walls. It looked like her soul was painted in very soft colors, something he obviously was not privy to even know about. He just realized that she must have shut her heart for him on purpose and the prospect of that pained him greatly.

Having the chance to look at her room was enough to make Sasuke experience some sort of anguish in a fairly negative way. Standing there he felt like he was allowed to look in her heart and see what she was hiding. It was exactly as if all of her secrets were revealed to him and were openly inviting him to claim them as his. However, that is exactly why he felt that distress. He did not want to act like some lowly thief who had nothing better to do than to snoop through someone's personal space. Because this was her room, the most intimate and personal space she could ever have. It was meant to be only hers and no one else's, especially not his. After all, he was the one who brought her heart pain on several occasions and what he was doing now was even worse than that.

Naruto was the one who pulled his thoughts away from walking on such a disparaging territory by calling to him, "Hey, teme! Look what I found!" At the same time he was flipping through a small notebook. Once he realized that Sasuke's attention was on him, he lifted the item in his hands, flashing him with the pink-colored covers.

"Sakura-chan's diary," he whispered his quick clarification as if he was sharing some top secret. It was entirely surprising that he actually managed to tone it down to a hushed tone. Usually, he was unable to keep his voice down even if that was necessary. Once he proceeded with his reading, something already caught his eye, so he scrunched up his eyebrows in concentration.

However, his companion was experiencing some strange form of guilt eating him up from the inside. Sasuke was clearly not that comfortable about this whole thing. He could not forget about the fact that they were invading her privacy, which in his opinion was entirely unfair. Seeing that Naruto still held her diary, he decided to take it from him, so he snatched it out of his hands.

"Hey, I was reading that, teme!" Naruto shouted in complaint.

"Well, you shouldn't," Sasuke shot back in a scolding way. Then, he added, "We're leaving."

"What?" Naruto shrieked in astonishment, taking the diary from Sasuke's hands. However, he suddenly figured that it would be best if he played dirty, because this was their last chance to find out the truth. After all, if Sasuke thought that Sakura still loved him right from the start, this entire mission would have been much easier. "Don't you want to know if she still loves you? You don't have to read the entire thing... just a page... or two," he said and looked at Sasuke, waiting to see the slightest sign of hesitance on his face. A huge grin split his face the moment he noticed that Sasuke was struggling against his suggestion.

Sasuke allowed himself a moment to think things over, before deciding that it won't hurt anyone if he read just a page or two. This was going entirely against his better judgment, but he really just wanted to know if it was true. He could not stand the pain that tortured him because of not knowing. Most of all, he just wanted proof for his suspicion. So, his decision was final.

After snatching the diary from Naruto's hand, he blatantly ignored his presence. "Hn," he grunted and turned his head, refusing to look at Naruto. He felt a blush threatening to rise on his neck, so he tried his best to suppress it so he can prevent himself from further embarrassment.

"I'll leave you to it," Naruto said, a mischievous smile stretching onto his lips.

"Don't do anything reckless," Sasuke said in threatening way. He hoped that the blond would get the message and stop with his idiocy for at least one day.

Once he started reading, a different set of feelings washed over him. At that moment he realized that never before in his life he felt so overwhelmed. The things she wrote there were affecting him on so many different levels.

_... His name is Sasuke Uchiha. I think I'm in love with him..._

_...we're on the same team. I think that fate brought us together. I'm really happy!..._

_...Sasuke-kun is so cool! I can't stop thinking about him..._

_...I started to realize that he's not that perfect, but all those little things that make him seem more vulnerable just made me love him more..._

He never even realized that her feelings were so deep and that she cared for him in such a profound way. Now, he felt guilty for every single time he treated her in a cold way and for pushing her away from him.

_...I really do love him! I wish that he would let me be there for him..._

_...I can see that he's suffering and I want to help him..._

_...he just keeps shutting me out. Should I still try or should I just leave him alone?..._

_...I told him that I love him. I freaking shouted it at him, but he choose to shut me out completely..._

_...THANK YOU! Is that all I'll ever get in return?..._

At that exact moment, when he read those words, he realized that he wanted to tell her that he will give her his heart if necessary, just so she would smile at him.

_...he left me. I feel so alone..._

_...It hurts! I feel empty. My heart is broken. I can feel it..._

He did not want to see her cry and he somehow knew that she must have been crying while writing these confessions. He felt so awful on the inside, like he was the cruelest monster that was created just to destroy her and her gentle heart.

Flipping through the pages he noticed that he was all she ever talked about in her diary, at least until he reached the writings from the time of his absence. She also wrote about other things, but all he ever wanted to know was what she thought of him.

_...we finally saw him today. He's changed, but I feel like there is still hope for him and us..._

_...believing that he is still the same Sasuke-kun I knew was a mistake..._

_...he's different! I don't know who he is anymore..._

He felt a painful rip inside his chest once he read those words. But, he knew that he deserved to be hated.

_...I tried to save him from himself, but I couldn't do it..._

_...he tried to kill me. The look in his eyes told me that he really wanted me gone forever..._

He felt disgusted with himself for trying to take away her precious life.

_...I don't know if I love him anymore. It's like I don't know who he is or what become of him during all those years..._

He re-read that short paragraph several times and the exact same feeling consumed him whole. Hurt… he felt hurt. So, she didn't love him anymore. Suddenly, he asked himself if she felt that way when she spoke of her heart breaking. When he finally reached the last pages she wrote he was left with an empty feeling. He felt blank, as if his whole heart was ripped from his chest.

_...I am finally writing the last piece..._

_...I'm done! It's over. I can't possibly hope for the same things, nor have the same silly dreams..._

_...it all seems pointless now..._

_...I will close my heart forever..._

Those words broke him on the inside and he somehow knew that his expression might betray his inner feelings. He was just glad that Naruto left him alone and occupied himself with something else.

_...so, I guess this is the end._

He flipped the diary closed and shut his eyes in utter attempt to settle his own thoughts, because he was entirely mystified at that moment. A long time passed since she wrote that last page and now he was back into her life, so it doesn't necessarily mean that she felt the same way still. She never treated him in a way that made him feel like she hated him. On the contrary, she was quite pleasant when around him, if you ignored her vicious outbursts. She even kissed him back that one time, even though she yelled at him afterward. Suddenly, he realized that he needed a distraction, something that would pull his mind off of things, especially off of that kiss.

Not a minute later, he received the distraction he needed, but it wasn't entirely pleasant. It's as if he urged Naruto to do the exact opposite when he warned him to not do anything reckless, because the blond was already onto something that was clearly a forbidden area for observation.

"It's her panties drawer," Naruto spoke in open amazement and in an instant picked a piece of purple panties that looked quite appealing to him. He held it out, so Sasuke could see all the cute details and wiggled his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

Sasuke was definitely not impressed, so he glared at the blond, but he could not suppress the blush threatening to rise on his cheeks. More importantly, he could not believe that the idiot was touching Sakura's underwear without her consent. Actually, he could, but that was beside the point. He just wanted to strangle him at the moment for being so stupid. "Naruto, put that down." Sasuke did not even strain to raise his voice, because his low growl was menacing enough.

"Okay, okay! You don't have to go all jealous on me," Naruto spoke in slight mockery, all the while closing the drawer with his hip. However, he still held the piece of undergarment in his hand. There was a plan forming in his mind with Sasuke as his main target.

"I'm not jealous, but I really can't stand your idiocy," Sasuke answered back in a cool tone, nonchalantly dismissing Naruto's words.

"Denial!" the blonde chanted the word, which was only meant as a provocation. He came to stand in front of him and pushed the soft cotton panties in Sasuke's hand. "Okay, I think that you should keep these," he said and grinned like a mischievous idiot.

Sasuke was more than shocked at that moment. He just brought his hand up and once he caught sight of the undergarments he felt a strange burning sensation envelop him entirely. He really did not want to consider the possibility of sinking that low and act like some closet pervert or worse, be turned on by inspecting Sakura's underwear, but this was not something that he could just easily ignore. He could not lie to himself any longer, because he felt his entire body heating up from the inside. He really had to admit to himself that this was affecting him greatly. The fact that he still held her underwear in his hand did not help his case at all.

However, the opening sound of the front door of the apartment was enough to pull his thoughts in another direction.

The instant he realized what was happening, Naruto whispered in fear, "Oh. No. It's Sakura-chan."

"Dobe, I will kill you," Sasuke whispered in return, afraid that she might hear them. His glare, however, was so deadly that the blond was struck in dread of what might happen if they by any chance survived Sakura's wrath. This was definitely not in his plan, Naruto thought, because she was supposed to be on a mission.

"Quickly... the closet..." he said and was already headed over to the closet. He slid the thin door open and entered in the small space, waiting for Sasuke to follow his idea. After all, they were only seconds away from receiving some serious beating from their teammate.

"You are so dead," Sasuke growled lowly as he slid the door closed.

"Shh..." Naruto tried to shush him just before they heard her enter the room.

At first they both felt relief wash over them because she still hadn't sensed their presence. However, the minute she started taking her clothes off, they both gulped as a result. They could clearly witness everything through the gap between the sliding doors that served as a peeking hole. Sasuke told himself that they should stop looking, but he could not tear his eyes from her slender form. He was so mesmerized that he forgot to at least cover Naruto's eyes to stop him from looking. Never before in his life had he seen her naked ― except that one time when she flashed him and the others with her naked ass ― and this seemed like a blessing, because even if he tried to imagine her without clothes he knew that he won't be this creative.

However, he was pulled out of his daydream once she walked toward the closet. He didn't even have the time to panic, before she swiftly opened the sliding door of her wardrobe. His entire attention was focused on her chest, because from his point of view he could clearly see her cleavage and he couldn't help but think that the lacy bra she wore fitted her perfectly. While he stared, Naruto nervously reached behind him and took something in his hand.

"Hmm... towel?" the blond spoke in a shaky and hesitant voice, reaching out to give her the fluffy object. He already started to pray that she won't kill him, but he somehow knew that it would never happen.

"What the hell?" she asked, pure shock written on her face. Once she realized what or better said who stood in her closed, squished in between her things, she could not suppress the anger from rising in her veins. "NARUTO!" she shouted, before slamming her powerful fist right into his jaw. He was out cold in a second.

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_-three weeks earlier-_

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It was one of those days when the two best friends decided to test their strength. Actually, a more appropriate term would be that they actually _measured_ their abilities against each other without any intention to hold back. Apparently, their rivalry would never come to an end, even if they tried. So, that is exactly how they both ended up in the hospital with some severe injuries, inflicted by each other of course.

The worst thing was that their other teammate was the one that had to suffer through everything. It's not like the healing process was what made her feel aggravated, but their insufferable behavior definitely made her wish to punish them by leaving them to suffer in pain. Nevertheless, her soft heart was never going to let her do something so unkind. That is the exact reason why she healed them for the umpteenth time, but she still could not stop herself and give them the usual speech.

"This better be the last time I'm doing this!" she shouted, after giving them the prolonged lecture. At the moment she felt like this was definitely not the first time she did the exact same thing, where she spent an entire hour of non-stop talking with no effect whatsoever. Sometimes she just believed that they never even heard a word of what she said.

She looked at Naruto and saw that he was expressing some sort of fear as he stared at her. However, after seeing the blank expression on Sasuke's face, she just could not help but shout again, "Are you even listening to me?" She figured that even if he was piercingly staring at her, he still looked like he wasn't paying the slightest attention to her words. The bastard did not even consider the possibility of giving her an answer.

However, Naruto was very fast to speak, "I'm listening, Sakura-chan."

Sakura could not help but roll her eyes, because she just knew that his reason for answering was that he was scared of her. It was not like she hit him that hard or on so many occasions to actually make him fear her like she was his worst enemy. Still, she sometimes had a tendency to be in denial, because she did hit him quite frequently.

"Well, do you have anything to say?" she finally asked in exasperation.

"I am really sorry, Sakura-chan. We kind of got carried away," he said in an almost weak voice, staring at her in a pleading way. Then, he proceeded, never changing his tone of voice, "I promise that I'll try to hold back the next time."

The look in his eyes made Sakura wonder what he was even thinking by staring at her like that. She really felt guilty at that moment, something that she wasn't even supposed to feel when he was acting like a reckless child. Then, she just decided to let him have his rest and turned toward Sasuke.

"What about you, huh? Do you have anything to say?" she asked, with her hands on her hips. She pinned him down with one of her deadliest glares, not caring of what his reaction might be. Actually, she was always affected by his reaction, but she was already used to him constantly ignoring her.

"Hn," he grunted and turned his head, a gesture meant to show her that she was not worth his time.

"Sasuke, I don't even want to say what is really going through my head at this precise moment, but I should tell you that it's not pleasant," she spoke honestly, with slight anger to her voice. She felt so angry at him for being such a cold and heartless idiot, especially after she treated his wounds with care and devotion.

"Like I care," he said in a cool tone, dismissing her completely.

The sudden pain she felt in her chest struck her as a lightning on a stormy night. "I expected you would say that," she said, as her anger deflated completely. Afterward, she silently spoke, "After all, it's all you ever say to me." It wasn't her intention to utter her personal thoughts out loud, but she did and there was no turning back. Her voice held such sadness that the two boys were unable to ignore it.

Sasuke turned to stare at her, while Naruto' expression saddened considerably. However, not a moment later he turned to glare at his so called best friend. He was shocked to witness an entirely different expression on Sasuke's face. It became clear to him that he felt guilt, but there was also something else there. It was kind of obvious that there was some gentleness in those dark eyes as he stared at her. At the moment he couldn't help but wonder about the change in Sasuke and when it actually happened, because he never witnessed something similar before.

Sakura broke the silence, as she spoke in an almost professional tone, "Okay, I will leave you two, so you can rest, but I'll be back to check on you in a couple of hours." It became obvious to them both that she refused to look at them on purpose and unbeknownst to her they both felt pain rip through them at the notion.

"Sakura-chan, wait―" Naruto tried to speak, but she cut him off in an almost harsh manner.

"Naruto, I really have to go," she said, before leaving without turning to say goodbye.

Naruto was so angry at that point, so he just waited for Sakura to be out of hearing range in order to give Sasuke a little piece of his mind. However, once he turned to glare at his friend, he noticed that Sasuke was looking at Sakura as if checking her out. At first he thought that he was seeing things, but after straining his eyes he realized that he actually was doing the shameful deed. He saw his eyes moving up and down Sakura's form, as if inspecting her every move.

Naruto's face lit up, once he soaked in the entire scene. "Teme, you like Sakura-chan!" he shouted as if he just made the biggest discovery in the history of the Shinobi world.

Sasuke's first reaction was to gape at Naruto with his eyes rounded in shock. However, that only lasted for a short second, before he settled for a cool and indifferent expression. "Hn," he grunted, believing that if he acted like he was not affected, he might escape further questioning on the matter.

"You were obviously checking her out," Naruto pointed out, feeling quite satisfied with himself. After all, it was not every day that he was able to find something that could be clearly classified as Sasuke's weak spot.

"Shut up, dobe," he indifferently spoke and looked away from his friend. He was completely aware of his actions, so he did not need anyone ― especially not Naruto ― to point out the obvious. He admitted to himself, a long time ago, that he found Sakura to be very attractive. However, he refused to acknowledge that as something significant, so he learned to cope with his own problem in his way, by feigning ignorance.

"You can't possibly lie to me, so just admit it," Naruto said in certainty, while piercingly staring at his friend. He suddenly thought that his previous statement needed some clarification, so he added, "I saw the way you're always looking at her." At that moment he thought of all those times he caught Sasuke staring at Sakura. However, that was classified as simple staring, but this time he finally caught him while checking her out and he was not willing to simply let it go.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sasuke lied through his teeth, not caring even in the slightest about his chosen course of action. He believed that his dignity was on the line, so a simple lie was nothing in comparison, at least according to his logic.

Nevertheless, that was not enough to fool the hyperactive boy. "Oh, yes, you do," Naruto spoke, while wiggling his eyebrows in a suggestive manner. "You don't have to feel ashamed about it. She is the most beautiful girl in the village, after my Hinata-chan, of course." The look on his face was so smug that it was hard to be ignored.

Sasuke's ears burned, but he was still very stubborn, so he flat out lied for a second time, "I'm not ashamed." His tone almost betrayed his uncertainty.

Naruto beamed and then spoke, "You didn't negate. I'm glad you finally came to your senses. I just can't believe that it took you more than six months to realize that you like her." He was referring to the time that passed since Sasuke's return to Konoha.

"If you don't shut up, I will kill you," Sasuke threatened in a cool tone. He was thoroughly irritated by Naruto's continuous allegations.

"Hmpf." Naruto breathed through his nose, tuning his head to the side. Then, he continued to talk as if completely sure in his own words, "You talk as if you can beat me."

"I can and I will," Sasuke seethed with clenched teeth, his glare still in place.

Naruto looked at him with small amount of frustration. "Why are you such a pain in the ass, teme?" he practically shouted the question. Expecting no reaction from his best friend, he stood up and walked toward his bed, ignoring the pain in his left side where Sasuke's Chidori struck him. "You do realize that this is for your own good," he pronounced every word with significance, while staring him down with determination.

Sasuke's anger was ignited at that point, so he rose in his bed and returned the glare he received from Naruto with the same intensity. "I don't see anything good in your rambling," he spoke in anger through clenched teeth.

"Well, the fact that I am willing to help you is the good part," Naruto said with pure seriousness rolling off of him. He already decided to help his friends and he told himself that nothing could possibly make him change his mind.

Sasuke's jaw twitched in irritation, because of the words he just heard. He could not believe that Naruto was making a huge deal out of this. In his opinion, these feelings he experienced were nothing more than a stupid obsession, so he strongly believed that if he did not take into account any of it then he would stop thinking about her in no time. "I'm not interested," he stated simply, but with anger in his voice.

Naruto stared at him in astonishment, before scrunching his eyebrows in pure determination. He decided to plainly ignore Sasuke and proceed with his initial idea. "I don't care. A bastard like you can't handle situations like these, so you definitely need my help," he stubbornly spoke and stomped back toward his own bed.

"I don't need your help," Sasuke shot back, all the while glaring at Naruto's retreating form.

"The fact that you still haven't asked her out says that you desperately need my help," Naruto spoke smartly, as if he was an expert in that field. He lay on the bed with his hands behind his head, wanting to show to the Uchiha that there was nothing that could possibly be done to change his mind.

"Whatever," Sasuke muttered under his breath. At that point he gave up, seeing that if he kept arguing with Naruto nothing good would come out of it. Also, he was more than infuriated because of his meddling, so he just decided to shut him out completely.

However, the blond got an entirely different idea. He jumped up excitedly and said, his voice taking on a cheerful note, "I'm glad you finally agree, teme. I will make sure that you won't regret this." He was completely unaware of the fact that Sasuke did not hear a single word of what he said.

_Naruto's First Plan of Action – Wounded ego or wounded pride... which one is worse?_

Naruto was exceptionally excited the following morning. He was at the training field, accompanied by his best friend and that sole fact was enough for him to feel hyper.

In the past couple of hours he focused his mind solely on his two friends, who were obviously in desperate need of his help. He already decided to skip the usual training session with Sasuke and step into plotting. So, once the raven-haired boy demanded for them to start, he did not hesitate to refuse.

"No, we won't be training today," he said simply, with a goofy smile stretching on his face.

Sasuke could not help but glare in return. "What are you on about?"

"Today is the day we will start with my plan," he answered, nodding with his head as if they both already agreed on it.

"What plan, dobe?" Sasuke asked, sounding utterly annoyed. He really hated it when the blond was acting like a crazy person with his excited jumping up and down.

"To help you with Sakura-chan, of course," he answered back, his smile still in place. He did not even realize that Sasuke was suddenly emitting a deadly aura.

The raven-haired prodigy could not contain his shock, so the question kind of burst out of his mouth, "What the hell?" The glare on his face spoke volumes of how he truly felt about Naruto's idea for plotting, especially since it concerned his feelings for Sakura. Once he realized that he was referring to whatever this was as _feelings_, he felt slight disgust. He pointedly told himself that he did not feel anything about her and that these episodes he had were just insignificant little things that were not worthy of his attention.

Naruto definitely did not feel the same way. In reality, he was sure that this was much more significant than Sasuke was letting on. "What!" he shouted in utter surprise. "I thought you agreed on this."

"I never agreed on anything," Sasuke said in finality.

Naruto approached him and waved with his finger as he chanted, "Oh, no, no, no! You can't just go and change your mind."

"Changing my mind would mean that I actually agreed with you in the first place, which in reality never happened!" Sasuke spat heatedly. He was at a point where he felt completely irritated.

"I am not letting you chicken out when I already planned everything," Naruto said, while grinding his teeth in determination. He stared Sasuke down with his brows narrowed in slight anger.

Sasuke had to clench his fists in order to suppress some of the fury brought on by Naruto's words. "I'm not chickening out. I am simply not interested." He tried to use his cool tone while saying that, but it turned out to be quite a strain. Apparently, this entire thing involving Sakura was affecting him more than he ever wanted to admit to himself.

Naruto could not believe that this was happening. He was so angry that he suddenly decided to turn to some drastic measures. In an instant he flash stepped toward Sasuke and hit him square on the nose. His movement was so fast that the only thing Sasuke saw before the pain ripped through his face was a yellow flash.

Sasuke stumbled on the ground, already covering his bloody nose with his right hand. "Dobe, what the hell?" he spat out angrily, sounding like there was something plucked up his nose.

"I'm sorry, teme," Naruto apologized, but he was definitely not feeling sorry for what he did. "I had to hit you, because that's the plan," he explained, while smiling sheepishly.

"That's your plan?" Sasuke tried to glare, but even that small movement appeared to be painful.

"Yeah, now all we have to do is find Sakura-chan." As he spoke, Naruto was smiling in some sort of a triumphant way. Actually, he felt like he did something entirely significant that would certainly lead to a great outcome.

"You are such an idiot," Sasuke said, while turning his eyes away from Naruto. He really felt like he would kill him if he kept listening to what he was saying. However, it was proved to be fairly difficult to simply ignore the blond when he was this persistent.

"Can't you be grateful, at least?" the blond asked, charging all of his anger at the ungrateful bastard.

"Grateful? You just broke my nose!" Sasuke accused him in return, already planning for some sort of revenge. He really had to admit to himself that plotting for revenge was his specialty.

"The nose Sakura-chan will heal with her soft and gentle hands," said Naruto, a bit too dreamily for Sasuke to consider that as a good sign. He wiggled his eyebrows in a suggestive manner, managing to infuriate Sasuke with that simple gesture.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, mostly because he did not know what to say. However, he could hardly ignore the sudden feeling of warmth that enveloped him whole once he heard those words. There was an entire meaning behind them and it all came from firsthand experience. After all, Sakura healed him on many occasions, while he made sure that every single one was imprinted as a precious memory in his head.

"Now, listen," Naruro addressed Sasuke, while looking at him in a fairly serious way.

Sasuke admitted to himself that the look on Naruto's face made him a tad bit curious. However, once Naruto opened his mouth Sasuke regretted for ever listening to him.

"Once she heals you... you have to kiss her," Naruto said, a mischievous glint shining in his bright blue eyes. He was way too excited for his own good.

Sasuke was instantly on his feet, still holding his hand over his broken nose. "What!" he shouted in astonishment. "Dobe, I can't do that," he added a moment later, shielding his face behind his bangs. He felt extremely embarrassed at that point, especially with the way his cheeks burned heatedly. He was very aware that he was blushing, but there was nothing he could do to suppress the feeling. It was very difficult for him to erase the image of his lips against Sakura's.

Naruto stared at him, trying to discern his thoughts, but his effort proved to be completely pointless. "Why not? You want to kiss her, don't you?" he asked, feeling flabbergasted and utterly confused at the same time. It wasn't surprising at all, because he was not a very perceptive person when it came to things in relation to romance.

"That's not the point," Sasuke spat out, but he still kept his head turned to the side.

"I don't understand," Naruto said, a baffled expression marring his facial features.

Sasuke was silent for a long minute, but then he grit out, "I just can't do it."

"Oh, wow! Are you scared, teme?" Naruto asked, trying his best to keep an even expression. He felt like he won't be able to contain himself any longer and would start laughing like an idiot as a result.

Finally, Sasuke turned to glare at the blond, forgetting entirely about the awkwardness he felt just a moment ago ― or the pain. "I'm not scared, dobe!" he seethed, his blood boiling in fury.

Naruto ignored his anger completely and laughed. "Oh, I know what's your problem... you're afraid that she might not like it!" he practically shouted the words, unable to control himself any longer. This entire thing was way too amusing for him, especially after seeing the versatile reactions coming from Sasuke.

The raven-haired boy started to emit a deadly aura around himself, as he intensified the glare. "Keep your voice down, idiot," he spoke with a deep growl coming from his throat.

"Don't worry! I'm sure that she'll like it," Naruto said, but the mockery connected to his tone of voice was definitely not pleasant ― at least for Sasuke. The blonde approached him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Trust me."

Sasuke just looked at him ― actually, it was more like he glared ― but after ten short seconds his expression was once again as cool as it was normal for him. However, the feeling flowing through him was nothing in relation to calmness. He suddenly remembered of the past times when she hugged him or simply paid special attention to him, none of which has happened since his return. The prospect of that made him feel deep longing for those gestures that always defined her feelings for him. Now, that they were gone, he started to believe that the love she had for him was gone too. "I don't think that she likes me anymore," he whispered his thoughts without being his intention.

Naruto's expression saddened after what he just heard and witnessed, especially because he hated to see his friend feel so miserable. Nevertheless, he could not stop himself from agreeing. "I'm not exactly sure, but you might be right. We can't deny that she keeps her distance and all," he spoke, a bit desolately. After all, he was a person that detested lying and he was definitely not willing to lie to his best friend. The good thing was that he still felt that there was hope, because he strongly believed that Sakura's feelings were very strong and definitely not something that could be erased with time.

Sasuke really hated the direction the conversation was going, so he kind of shouted out, without being his intention, of course, "Dobe, can you shut your mouth for just a second!"

Naruto noticed that Sasuke was clearly not very pleased with the entire situation, so he just decided that this was the best time for shelling out a quick reminder. "But, I still think that if you kiss her, we might get proof that she still loves you," he whispered, hoping that his words would be enough of a provocation for the avenger. After all, Sasuke's greatest wish at that moment was to know of Sakura's true feelings.

He was proved right, once Sasuke gave his agreement, "Aa." After a whole minute of silence and Naruto's cheerful celebration, he spoke for a second time, "So, are we going to the hospital?"

"Believe it!" Naruto enthusiastically shouted and lifted his hand in the air in his trademark fashion.

It didn't take them much to come to the hospital, but their trip certainly was a complete waste of time. Of course, if Sakura hadn't been busy, working in one of the operating rooms, that wouldn't have had to happen. However, the one that ended up severely annoyed because of that was the last living Uchiha. Maybe, if it weren't for the fan-girl that offered to heal his nose and her persistent attempts to touch him where he did not allow, he might not have lost his temper. Well, sometimes not everything worked out the way he wanted. He just really wanted to hurt Naruto for everything he caused, because this was most certainly his fault.

But, being very stubborn was one of his most favorite ways of dealing with things. So, once again, he decided to be exactly that and waited for Sakura to finish with her work. Even the pain was not enough to make him succumb to the absolute torture that would be brought on by the other nurse's offering, so he just kept waiting for his precious lady. If she wasn't here to heal him, then he would wait for her, because there was no one that could possibly offer what she could.

Finally, after long hours of waiting, Sakura exited the operating room, looking quite exhausted herself. Actually, she looked quite terrible, but Sasuke paid small attention to that. Although, Sasuke could not ignore the fact that she looked particularly drained. Seeing her like this is exactly what made him slightly worried.

The gesture was returned, of course, because that is exactly how Sakura felt once she saw him with dried blood on his face. He obviously refused any sort of help by the obsessed nurse, especially since that particular one ― where she should have just wiped off the blood stains ― involved touching his face.

"Sasuke-kun, what happened to you?" Sakura shrieked, already walking in his direction in a hurry. She just wanted to make sure that he was fine and that there was nothing wrong with him, except the obviously broken nose.

"Hn," he managed to grunt, but he did glare at the other person that was there in the waiting room.

Sakura followed his gaze and once her eyes landed on the blond, who was smiling sheepishly and rubbing his neck awkwardly, she understood what or better said who caused this entire thing. She narrowed her eyebrows, as she stared him down. In the next second she reminded him of how much she could make him suffer for defining her request. After all, she could still clearly remember that they left the hospital just the previous day because of self-inflicted damages. She told herself that this time they broke their own record, because the twenty-four hours were still not over.

"Naruto! What the hell were you thinking?" she shouted at him, feeling no regret. It's not like she had her preferences when it came to her teammates ― unlike the times she had a crush on Sasuke and held a certain amount of hate toward the blond ― but, this time she really just wanted to scold the one at fault. Her judgment was definitely not clouded, but it was necessary of her to yell at Naruto for acting like his usual self. After thinking it over, she realized that she should have expected something like this from any of them. For all she knew, Sasuke might have been the one that provoked him.

"Sakura-chan, please don't yell at me. I have a perfectly good explanation," he said, his voice betraying his fear. If there was anything that he was afraid of it was Sakura's wrath. He really hated it that he had to be in the receiving end of her temper or much worse that he had to provoke her and by doing that unleash the worst in her, but at least it was for a good cause. He just hoped that Sasuke would be grateful enough so he would be able to forget about Sakura's deadly punch.

"I don't want to hear it!" she yelled, turning her head so she wouldn't have to look at him. She was aware of the effect those pleading eyes of his had on her and she was still not ready to just forgive him. "I'll deal with you later," she added a moment later, her voice taking on a much calmer note. However, she had to clench and unclench her fists several times in order to push the anger away.

She suddenly decided that it would be best if she focused her attention on Sasuke and his broken nose. After reminding herself of it, she really felt bad for prolonging his suffering, so she took his hand and dragged him toward one of the vacant rooms down the hall. She told him to sit on the hospital bed, as she just stood in front of him. She inspected the damage like a professional and figured that she would be able to fix it no time.

"Stay still," she ordered, but once she touched his skin with her chakra covered hands, he flinched a tiny bit. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?" she asked, a look of apology shining her green eyes.

"No," he answered, all the while trying his best to avoid looking at her. It was very difficult for him to have her so close to him. He was very aware of every single gesture she did and it seemed to him like the seconds ticked by at a torturous pace. Her sweet breath was on his face, making him slightly nervous. Also, the fact that he could feel the heat rolling off of her body was not much of a help either. Thankfully, she was really gentle and fast that he did not have to wait long for her to finish or actually feel any discomfort because of the healing process. Once she took a step away from him, he exhaled a huge gulp of air that he wasn't aware he was holding.

However, the second he turned to look at her, he could not stop himself. His eyes were glued to her face like never before. He felt his heartbeat accelerate, as he shamelessly kept staring at her. He was very aware of the blush dusting her cheeks and it was obvious to him that he was the one that evoked the feeling within her. That pleased him to a great extent.

As she looked away and tucked her hair behind her ear, she spoke timidly, "Sasuke-kun, is everything alright?"

He could not stop himself when he let her name roll off of his tongue, "Sakura..." The instant she turned to look at him, he became aware of his right out staring, so he just said, "Thank you." He really hoped that she won't read too much into his actions or into his decision to openly thank her for her help. It was not something that defined his nature, after all.

Suddenly, Naruto's words flashed in his head. The prospect of leaning in and stealing a kiss from her seemed kind of nice. Those thoughts he had surprised him greatly, but the feeling of yearning that enveloped his heart appeared to be stronger. So, he just decided to be bold for the first time with what had to be the most embarrassing gesture he would ever do in his life. After all, this was the first time he ever desired to kiss a girl or decided to do it just for the heck of it.

As he slowly leaned in, he saw her eyes fluttering close. The gesture encouraged him more, but just when he was about to close the gap and touch her lips, he felt her breath on his lips as she whispered, "Sasuke-kun... I'm..." He opened his eyes to look at her, but she seemed like she was not really present with her thoughts and her eyes were closed. Not a second later, she whispered, once again, in an almost sleepy voice, "...dizzy." The, she fainted right into his arms.

"Sakura!" he shouted in alert. After lifting her head, so he would be able to look at her, he finally realized that she was out. He tried to shake her out of it by placing his hand on her cheek, but she did not move even an inch. "Sakura, wake up," he whispered, trying for a second time, but to no avail. He realized that she must have been very low on chakra after that surgery and he scolded himself for not noticing it earlier. He could have prevented her from spending her last bit of energy on him.

At that moment he just told himself that this had to be the most ironic thing he ever experienced. Just when he was about to kiss her, she had to faint in his arms. He was really close to doing it, but he was not always lucky enough to get what he wanted.

"Naruto, you are so dead," he muttered, before gently picking her up in his hands. He told himself that at least she was with him, because that just meant that she was in safe hands.

_Naruto's First Plan of Action – Complete Failure!_

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_Naruto's Second Plan of Action – The damsel in distress & Prince Charming! ...yeah, right!_

Concerning Naruto's next plan... well, that definitely wasn't a good idea.

"Naruto, this was a really great idea!" Kiba shouted, relaxing in the hot water of the hot spring. He signed in content, while resting his head on the edge of the vast pool.

"You better believe it, Kiba," Naruto answered back, already feeling smug for coming up with such a brilliant plan. '_Oh, this was the best idea ever! The teme will owe me big time,_' he thought as he mischievously rubbed his hands. There were times when he could be very determined and persistent, especially if there was a mission ― such as this one ― that he wanted to accomplish.

He made sure he invited everyone of his guy friends, because he already knew that the girls would be relaxing on the other side of the wall in their private hot spring. However, he made sure that no one knew that because that was crucial for his plan to actually work.

"Sasuke-teme, are you ready?" Naruto asked, pure excitement rolling off of him. He looked like he was in his happy place, especially because of the way he acted.

"For what?" Sasuke asked coolly, trying to use the opportunity to relax and possibly forget all about the previously failed plan. Actually, he told himself that he should completely forget about Naruto and his stupid little game plans. But, it was proved to be very difficult, especially since he constantly worried about Sakura and whether she got the rest she clearly needed.

"Sakura-chan is in the girls' bath. In a minute she'll need your help," the blond said cheerfully, feeling quite satisfied with himself. He really believed that this plan was even better than the first one.

Sasuke could not believe what his ears just registered. Actually, after a little bit of thinking he just figured that he should have guessed that this was more than just some hanging out or bonding time. It was Naruto who invited them all and he should have given it some thought before actually agreeing to his silly suggestion. Now, apparently there was no turning back, because the mess was already started. At least he got an answer to his silent question ― Sakura was feeling fine.

"What the hell, dobe?" Sasuke whispered the question, before clenching his teeth in anger. He really could not believe that Naruto was continuing with his little ideas for creating fairytale moments. "Is this one of your stupid plans?"

Naruto was clearly offended, further expressed by his tone of voice as he spoke, "It's not stupid. Even Konohamaru agreed to help out."

"You involved that idiot in this?" At that exact moment he just admitted to himself that he was feeling more than annoyed.

"He's not an idiot! You are such a bastard, you know that," Naruto said, spilling so much hate in those two sentences. He really hated it when Sasuke was acting like an almighty bastard.

"I don't care what you think, but you better tell me what you plan is," Sasuke shot back, menacingly glaring at Naruto. He did not care of what measure he would have to take in order to make his friend regret this.

"Well, you see..." Naruto trailed off, laughing awkwardly. In his opinion the plan was a bit delicate for explaining, especially since it required some special role playing from Konohamaru.

Sasuke already sensed that he won't like the plan, at all. In the next instant, he was already proved to be right.

"AAAAHHHH!"

He did not like the sound of that scream coming from the girls' hot spring, nor did he like Naruto's next words.

"Woops... it's already started," Naruto said in a shaky voice, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

Sasuke glared at him, as he shouted, "Dobe! What the hell did you do?"

"What was that scream? It sounded a lot awful like Ino," Kiba spoke, his eyes trained on the wooden separator.

"Troublesome," muttered Shikamaru, while still lying sprawled in the hot water. He was really way too lazy sometimes. Actually, _sometimes_ was a mild word for his behavior.

"Are the girls here?" Neji asked in a casual tone. He was a bit surprised, so he really had to ask, especially since he was quite offended by the fact that he didn't sense their presence.

In the next second, however, the guys could only hear the sound of a few kunai embedding in the wooden wall.

"Way to go, Tenten!" a very girly voice shouted from behind the wall, most obviously belonging to a certain blonde.

The boys heard Tenten's voice calling out, in slight urgency, "Sakura!"

"I'm on it," the girl answered back, her tone of voice too cheerful for it to be a good sign. "SHANARO!" Her shout was followed by the crashing sound of a wall and someone's jaw. Apparently, she was very furious.

The image that was about to unfold was definitely not expected by them, because no one would ever believe that Sakura would flash in front of them showing a bit too much of her own assets. They could all see her legs and a bit of her behind as she landed a kick in the face of the person covered in black.

Sasuke froze on the spot, heavy dread washing over him. He might have been blushing, but he could not ignore the fact that he was not the only one that saw that.

"I don't think that we were supposed to witness any of that," Choji spoke, feeling a bit too overwhelmed for words.

"My beautiful cherry blossom," Lee whispered dreamily with his eyes shining in wonderment and open amazement.

The others just stared blankly in space, clearly out of words to say.

Kiba was the only one coherent enough to speak his amazement, "Oh, wow!" Actually, he was enjoying this a bit too much, especially since he just kept staring at Sakura.

Sasuke was ready to murder someone at that point, preferably his idiot of a friend or maybe the dog boy or even maybe the love-struck fool that had stars shining in his eyes. If only he brought his katana with him, all of this would have been over in the blink of an eye. But, of course, he totally forgot that he was still only wearing a towel.

In the meantime, the rest of the girls appeared in the boys' side of the hot spring.

"Hey, Hinata-chan," Naruto greeted her with a shy grin on his face. He could clearly see that his girlfriend was standing right in front of him in only a towel and he felt especially nervous because of that.

"H-hi, Na-nar-uto-kun," she stuttered, a bright blush dusting her cheeks. She attempted to shield herself from his prying eyes, but it was a failed attempt.

"What a pervert?" Ino shouted from the sidelines, staring down at the intruder with strong accusation in her eyes. "You picked up the wrong girls," she said in derision, as she also flashed him with a threatening and scary looking grin. Her mind was processing all the ideas for torture, because that is exactly what she was willing to do at the moment. If she was to be asked, then no one was allowed to peek on her without her consent, not even her lazy boyfriend. Then, she nodded her head at Sakura, ushering her to lift the mask from his face.

The pink-haired girl nodded in return and turned to look at the kid she held by his collar. She lifted the mask off in a single flick of her hand and she heard a few gasps from around her. The person that dared to sneak in and peek on them was no other than Naruto's little minion.

Konohamaru was trembling in fear, because he expected to be the one that would receive the punishment in the end even if this was not his idea. After all, Sakura was known to be very viscous when it came down to perverts. But, he was wrong, because Sakura was already onto the real culprit.

"Naruto!" she grit out his name, as she already clenched her fist preparing herself to lash out at him for being a plain idiot. "So, you were behind this! I should have expected it," she shouted, her anger rising considerably. "You are so dead, Naruto!" Then, she was already giving him the punch he so well deserved.

"Usuratonkachi," Sasuke muttered under his breath, a smirk stretching on his lips, as he watched the scene. "Your plan doesn't seem so great now, does it?" Sasuke mocked him, feeling no regret for doing so. After all, this plan was way out of the line, even for Naruto and his usual idiotism. Then, he finally turned to look at Sakura and he was instantly reminded of her lack of clothing. Actually, there were none, replaced by a single fluffy towel and that was enough of a reason for him to feel mixed emotions. He felt the heavy onslaught of blush rising to his cheeks, but at the same time he felt pure anger because of the company they had. He was not that stupid to not know that there was at least one person that stared at her almost naked form and was chanting '_My Cherry Blossom has a youthfully beautiful body!_' in his head. He felt quite disgusted as those thoughts flashed through his mind.

Sasuke stood right next to her and whispered in her ear, "Sakura... could you cover yourself a bit?" His voice was a bit too accusing for it to sound like he was only worried about her.

She was really angry at the moment, so she cared so little about her un-lady like behavior as she shouted at him, "Sasuke-kun, you better shut your mouth, before I pummel you to the ground." Then, she pinned him down with her own glare and mocked him in the process. "Like I need _you_ to remind me that I'm only wearing a freaking towel in front of so many of my guy friends." She huffed in exasperation, before deciding to ignore him completely, just so she would be able to calm herself. The fact that he chose to stand so close to her when they were both severely underdressed did not help her case at all. So, she just told herself that it would be better if she stayed as far away as possible from him and that handsome chest of his.

Sasuke had to admit to himself that she really managed to leave him utterly speechless. He was so shocked that he did not even pay attention to the elderly person that walked in the scene.

The old woman gaped at the destruction and spoke in dread, "What the hell happened here! Who wrecked my wall?"

"I hate my life," Sakura muttered to herself. She knew that she was the one that had to step in and take matters in her own hands, because no one would be willing to volunteer and cover Naruto's mess.

_Naruto's Second Plan of Action – Failure of immense proportions!_

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_Naruto's Third Plan of Action – A cherry flavored lollipop can be so sweet!_

Sakura was definitely not aware of Naruto's plotting or Sasuke's involvement in the entire charade. Maybe that is why she was still peacefully sleeping in the arms of Sasuke Uchiha.

The three of them were on a mission, accompanied by Kakashi and Sai. They were taking a break in one of the small villages in the Land of Lightning. Actually, they decided that after three days of travelling through the wilderness, they should finally stay at an inn where they could get the much needed rest. However, that idea was exactly what the obnoxious blond was waiting for. So, he kind of made sure to put Sasuke and Sakura in the same room, despite all the glares he received in return. Sasuke was definitely more than pissed, because he certainly did not expect for Naruto to continue with his stupid plans while they were on a mission. Apparently, he was deluding himself, because that is exactly what Naruto did.

That was the reason why Sasuke and Sakura were currently in a bed together, sleeping peacefully. After witnessing the scene someone would definitely think that there was something more there, but truthfully it was all just a huge accidental happening. At least, that is what they both believed.

Sakura was the first one that woke up and she was startled to find herself looking at the sleeping face of Sasuke. She took note of their almost entangled position on the bed only a minute later, because at first she just kept staring at his handsome face. Realization downed on her that he was practically snuggled up against her and that he also held her by her waist in a possessive grip. Even if she wanted to move she wasn't able to do so without waking him up. The fact that he kept his face so close to hers was not helping her case at all. She just hoped that he would not wake up to find her so close to him. She was scared to even consider the possibilities of what might happen if he did wake up. Taking a moment to think of a way to sneak out she came to a conclusion that she would have to try and lift his arm from her waist before even tearing herself away from him. After deciding to take her chances, she took a deep breath and readied herself, but even with the smallest of movements she cautiously made, she still managed to stir him awake.

"Oh..." she breathed out, while struggling to calm the erratic beating of her heart. She was drawn to the deep blackness of his eyes, so she could not tear herself away from him even if she tried.

As they started at each other and practically breathed in the scent of one another it seemed as time has stopped for the both of them.

Sasuke was the first to react by tearing his eyes away from her.

Witnessing such reaction, Sakura felt hurt, so she backed away, leaving huge space in between them. "Sasuke-kun, I... I'm so sorry... I didn't... didn't mean..." she stuttered, feeling heavy embarrassment wash over her.

All of a sudden, he lifted himself up from the bed, walked toward the window and stood there with his back turned to her. "Hn," he grunted as a response, trying to suppress the strong feeling of longing he felt in his chest.

The lingering tension in the room made her feel uneasy. His reaction and the way he seemed to be severely disturbed by the situation also pressured her into feeling guilty. That is why she tried to explain the situation, despite the fact that she had no idea what the real explanation was, "I really have no idea how this could have happened. I honestly―"

He cut her off, by speaking in a detached tone, "It's okay, Sakura."

Sakura felt cold shivers running up and down her body upon hearing the iciness in his tone. A moment later, after gathering her thoughts and suppressing the disturbing emotions, she spoke silently, "Alright... I'll go take a shower." She stood up and as she walked away she turned to look at him.

He didn't hesitate to dismiss her completely, so he cuttingly snapped, "Whatever."

Sasuke left the room before Sakura even exited the bathroom. He decided to skip the morning shower in exchange for an escape from that awkwardness and tension. He was waiting in the hall just in front of the small dining room, while he desperately tried to forget about Sakura.

Naruto came to stand right next to him and after inspecting his surrounding so he can make sure that no one was listening, he spoke in a hushed tone, "So, how was it? Did you sleep well?" There was a very expressive half-smile stretched on his face and the particular glint in his eyes was hardly ignorable.

It became obvious to Sasuke that there were some dirty thoughts circling through his mind. "Hn," he grunted, trying his best to ignore the blond. But, his reaction was enough of an answer for his intrusive friend.

"Oh, so something did happen," Naruto mocked him openly with an amused expression on his face. Then, he hastily asked, "What happened?" He joyously grinned right in front of Sasuke's face. "Did you kiss her?" he added with much more slyness in his tone.

The cheerfulness emanating from him only served to grate Sasuke's nerves even more than before. "Dobe, shut up," he shouted in suppressed anger. He could hardly stand Naruto's idiocy at the moment, especially since he was the one that put him in the current position. The memory of waking up right next to Sakura was constantly replaying in his mind. He could still vividly remember every single detail about her that he came to notice for the first time this morning. It was as if he permanently engraved the image in his head and now he could not erase it even if that is exactly what he desired most.

"I guess that's a no," Naruto muttered under his breath, before pouting stubbornly. "You don't have to be so grumpy, you know. I can help you get a kiss from her." Once he said that, his whole face lit up.

Sasuke gave him a deadly look, before gritting out, "Naruto, I seriously want you to stop with this nonsense. It's annoying me to no end."

Naruto just waved with his hand in a nonchalant way, dismissing his words completely. Then, he spoke in certainty, "Don't worry. You'll feel more relaxed once my plan works."

"Dobe, don't do anything stupid," Sasuke said through clenched teeth, his glare intensifying. At that moment he was hoping that Naruto got the message, because he was really planning on murdering him if he created a mess while they were still on a mission.

Then, he decided to ignore his persistent friend and walked into the dining room. He took a seat at one of the empty tables, as Naruto followed suit.

Right at that exact moment Sakura showed up, taking a seat across from Sasuke. He noticed that she looked exceptionally beautiful in the morning, so he could not help but stare at her. Actually, he wasn't even aware that he was doing that, until she turned to look at him. She raised a single brow in question and he just turned to look in another direction. From then on, while they ate their breakfast, he ignored her presence completely. He really did not need a reminder of everything that happened that morning between him and her.

Naruto left their table a few minutes earlier with the excuse that he had to go to the bathroom before they continued their journey. They sat there in silence, while Sasuke kept ignoring her. She felt like she did something terrible and she suddenly regretted for ever agreeing to stay in the same room with him. Everything that transpired between them was definitely not her fault. After thinking about it, she realized that he was the one that had her in a possessive grip, not the other way around. With that thought flashing in her mind, she huffed in annoyance, which brought his attention back to her. The moment he looked at her, she shot him down with the nastiest look she could muster. Then, she just stood up, as she no longer wanted to stay in his presence. That was not her plan, but she could not sustain her anger any longer.

Sasuke was a bit surprised, because he definitely did not expect that kind of a reaction. He felt like she ripped a whole piece out from his chest with that hateful look in her usually vibrant green eyes.

As Sakura exited the inn, she instantly spotted the obnoxious blond. She walked toward him and asked, "Naruto, what are you doing?" After finally taking a stop to stand right next to a crouched down Naruto, she noticed his little companion, who appeared to be a very cute girl.

"I'm here with this little girl," he said with a smile on his face. He looked like he was enjoying himself a bit too much, which surprised Sakura greatly.

Despite herself, she decided to ignore that notion and focused on the small girl. "Oh, hello," Sakura greeted, a gentle smile stretching on her face. "What's your name?"

At that exact moment, Sasuke and Sai decided to show up. They both looked curiously at the scene, but said nothing.

"My name is Kaori," the girl answered shyly, fondling with her dress in a way that displayed her timidity. She felt a bit overwhelmed, surrounded by so many young people.

"That's a really nice name, Kaori," said Sakura sweetly, before crouching down right next to Naruto so she could be on eyelevel with the girl. Then, while placing her hand on the girl's arm, she asked, "Why are you here alone? Where are your parents?"

"Um... I'm waiting for my daddy. He's in that store over there," Kaori spoke with that cute little voice of hers and lifted a single finger to show Sakura the place her father has gone to.

"He left her with me for a few minutes. They were guests in this inn, just like us," Naruto explained, while flashing the girl with one of his bright smiles. He winked at her and she giggled in response. She appeared to be very fond of Naruto, which might have been a bit surprising considering the fact that she just met him. However, he always had a certain knack for leaving a good impression on people, so this might have not been an exception.

"I wonder why someone would leave their kid with you, dickless," Sai mussed out loud, appearing to be sincerely curious.

"Sai, shut up," Naruto said, a bit angrily. He just really hated the nickname Sai gave him and he always felt his blood boil when he called him like that in front of other people.

Kakashi appeared out of nowhere ― as it was customary for him to pop out in the most opportune moment ― and spoke in a scolding manner, "Sai, mind your language in front of the young lady." Then, he just waved at the girl with his eyes crinkled in amusement. He thought that the scene was definitely interesting and he had a feeling that something memorable might happen.

"Did I say something wrong?" Sai asked in cluelessness, turning to look at Sakura.

"Just keep it down for a bit, Sai," she whispered and nodded her head in reassurance. She did disapprove of the way he spoke in front of Kaori, but she knew that it wasn't his fault for being socially constipated, which is why she always forgave him.

Suddenly, Sakura's thoughts were interrupted once she felt a pull on her nin-skirt. She turned her attention on the girl that now stood right in front of her.

"What is your name?" Kaori asked hesitantly, sounding a bit shy.

"Sakura," she answered, offering the girl a gentle smile. She thought that the girl was really cute and sweet with that innocent little smile of hers and the little piggy tails hanging on both sides of her neck.

"I like your name, Sakura-nee." The girl giggled sweetly and reached to touch Sakura's hair, surprising her in the process. "Your hair is really beautiful," she spoke fondly, as she brushed her small chubby fingers through the soft pink locks.

Sakura was only able to smile in return, because of how sweet little Kaori was. "Thank you, Kaori. Yours is, too," she said in return, tugging the piggy tails gently with her hand.

The girl smiled shyly because of the compliment and then reached in the small pocket of her dress. She took out something from it and lifted it up toward Sakura. "Would you like a lolly, Sakura-nee?" she asked, while still holding the wrapped sweet candy in her small hand.

"Ah, sure," Sakura agreed, the smile never leaving her face.

However, instead of giving the lolly to Sakura the girl focused her sights on Sasuke and walked toward him. Once she stood in front of him, she asked in determination, "What's your name?" She really managed to surprise the others with her sudden change of attitude, as they looked at her in open astonishment. Well, that was all of them, except for Naruto, who had a fairly sly smile stretched on his face.

The Uchiha lifted an eyebrow in response and looked at her in a strange way, but he still answered, "Sasuke." He did not want to be rude and ignore the little girl.

"Sasuke-nii, will you give the lolly to Sakura-nee?" she asked him with an innocent smile on her face and that childish glint in her bright blue eyes.

Mindful of the effect she had on him with that openly displayed innocence, he tried to find a way to escape her request, so he asked, "Why?" He did not plan to sound rude or harsh, but his tone of voice indicated otherwise. He noticed the glare Sakura directed at him and his blood instantly froze. At that moment, he became aware that she had a certain control over his emotions, almost as if she owned his heart. "Fine," he agreed, unable to refuse the girl after Sakura shot him with that look. So, he took the lollipop from her and walked toward Sakura. As she reached out to take it from his hand, he noticed Naruto sniggering from the sidelines. Sasuke realized that the blond idiot had a huge deal into this, so he promised himself that he would make him pay once they were back in Konoha.

He snapped out of his destructive thoughts when he heard Sakura's gentle voice. "Thank you," she said and smiled kindly at him. That smile on her face reminded him so much of the past times when she smiled like that just for him.

Suddenly, Kaori spoke right from beside him, "Its cherry flavored." He turned to look at her and he noticed that she was looking at Sakura. The girl looked at her as if waiting for something.

Sakura suddenly realized that she was waiting for her to open the lollipop, so she removed the red colored wrappings and licked the candy. Then, she smiled appreciatively and spoke, "Thank you, Kaori. It's really sweet."

Not a moment later, a very deep male voice called out, "Kaori!"

The girl instantly turned to look at the man and she screeched happily, "Oh... that's my daddy!" As she turned to look at them, she bowed politely in thanks and smiled sweetly.

In the meantime, the man walked toward them and addressed Naruto. "Thank you for keeping an eye on her," he said in a firm voice, but filled with honest gratitude.

"No problem, sir," Naruto beamed, while rubbing the back of his neck in slight embarrassment. Then, he looked at Kaori and winked at her, which looked like he was giving her approval for something she did.

She winked in return and waved them all goodbye. "Bye!" she chirped happily, as she held onto her father's hand.

Once they left, the group of Shinobi decided to continue with their mission. As they walked on the road that led out of the small village, Sakura licked at the sweet cherry flavored lolly.

"This has to be the best lollipop I ever tasted," she hummed in delight, as she enjoyed the wonderful taste.

"It must be because Sasuke gave it to you," Naruto joked, but he didn't mean it as a joke, at least that is what he said to himself. The wicked smile never left his face, because he felt as if he was doing some incredibly generous deed.

"Dobe," Sasuke grit out in irritation, while pointedly glaring at the blond. He noticed the sly look on his face and he didn't like it one bit, especially because there was a strange feeling in his gut that told him that this was not over and that Naruto had something else planned.

He didn't have to wait long to find out, because as Naruto shouted, "Teme!" he shoved him right into Sakura, who was walking right beside him.

Sasuke grunted as he lost balance, but due to his training he was able to balance himself on his feet. However, he still managed to knock Sakura in a way that she couldn't find a way to steady herself, so he instinctively reached and gripped her by the waist. In just a fleeting second they were in a position where Sasuke was leaning over her, while he still held her by her slim waist. Their faces were so close that he was able to smell the cherry flavor on her lips. His eyes roamed over her face and as they landed on her lips, he just couldn't look away. The usual pink color of her lips was now a deep red that seemed so appealing that he felt his blood boil at the sight. In a moment of complete unawareness he lowered his head and captured her soft lips with his.

Sakura froze on the spot and didn't dare to move a muscle. She was only able to feel his lingering touch on her waist and the softness of his lips upon hers. If she ever dreamed of something like this, she told herself that the dream must have been nothing in comparison to how he made her feel in real life, because this was wondrous. The feelings flowing through her were too much to handle, making her dizzy out of her mind.

Sasuke was enjoying himself, which was something that took him by surprise. He was never fond of sweets, but this cherry flavored lollipop had to have been the best thing he ever tasted. His lips moved along her soft and sweet ones as if in a desperate frenzy, but he loved every second of it. The taste of cherries was in his mouth and he really did not want for the amazing feeling that enveloped him whole to ever stop.

However, they had company that couldn't be ignored, as they were clearly reminded once Kakashi cleared his throat a bit too loudly for it to pass as unintentional. Kakashi was more than surprised, because this was definitely not what he expected to happen. The feeling he had previously never urged him to think of this possible scenario.

Upon hearing the warning, Sasuke was instantly off of Sakura and did his best to not look at her as he steadied her. Suddenly, he became very aware of his hasty action and because of that he felt heat crawl all over his body. He tried his best to suppress the feeling of awkwardness as he pointedly ignored Sakura.

She, on the other hand, felt a painful rip in her chest after seeing his reaction. It took her by surprise and it hurt her more that she thought it would. She took a moment to process everything that happened and there was only one logical explanation that would explain this. It definitely wasn't easy for her to even consider that as a possibility, but she really just wanted the truth and she knew that this kiss wasn't what Sasuke wanted. His pointed way of ignoring her was proof enough for her. She really did not want to go with it, but she had to ask, "Is this one of your stupid jokes?" She stared at Naruto with hurt in her eyes. "Naruto, please, be honest with me... was this a bet?" she asked for a second time, tears gathering in her eyes. It took a great effort on her part to not let them flow, but she refused to cry in front of _him_. She just wanted to make him realize that he really was a bastard.

Naruto looked at her with eyes rounded in astonishment. "No, Sakura-chan... it wasn't," he spoke silently, but tried to be honest.

She shook her head and couldn't help but shout at him, "You have the decency to lie me in my face, when I specifically pleaded for the truth." She did not know what feeling overflowed in her chest in that instant... whether it was anger or hurt.

"I'm telling you the tr―" he tied to speak, but she cuttingly spat.

"Spare me, Naruto! I'm out of here." Then, she turned away from him and the rest of them, not wanting to spare even one single glance at them. She felt betrayed, as if they used her most inner feeling against her just so they could have a little fun.

She heard Sasuke's deep voice just when she was about to leap into the trees. "Sakura, wait..."

She really wanted to just ignore him, but she couldn't, so she turned to look at him. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears and Sasuke felt guilty for some reason. He just wanted to be the one that would erase those feelings from within her and shower her with love and care.

"Urgh! I really can't believe you," she suddenly screamed at him. "It's really cruel to involve me in your stupid rivalry. I am so disappointed in you Sasuke-kun." Then, she took a moment to stare them both down and shouted at the top of her lungs. "I hate you both!"

In the next second she was already gone, the swirl of cherry blossom leaves twirling in the air. At that moment, she just wanted to be as far away as possible from them both and be able to think things through. She was ready to accept the consequences for leaving the mission and returning to Konoha without being ordered to do so.

_Naruto's Third Plan of Action – Gone entirely out of hand!_

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_-back to present-_

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"You didn't have to hit me so hard, Sakura-chan!" Naruto whined, while rubbing his face with his open palm. A huge bruise was already taking place on his cheek right where Sakura hit him with her fist.

"No, I should have hit you harder. That might have brought some sense into you," she seethed in anger, while giving him a very nasty look. "What the hell am I even talking about? As if you can ever change," she muttered under her breath, as she made sure to clutch the towel closer to her chest. She was more than angry, because this time they took it over the line with their behavior. Also, she could not even forget that that they both saw her half-naked in her underwear and she admitted to herself that she would have died of embarrassment right on the spot if it weren't for the anger she felt.

"Sakura-chan, don't be so mean to me," Naruto complained in a childish voice, while pouting at her.

She just decided to ignore him for the time being, so she would not have to deal with a headache because of his obnoxiousness. So, she decided to turn toward Sasuke. "What about you, huh?" she spat at him with her eyes narrowing dangerously. "I would expect anything from this idiot here, but not from you, Sasuke-kun." As she spoke she looked at him in a scolding manner, but that look quickly changed into a deadly stare. "Would you care to explain why you encouraged him to do something like this?"

"I have nothing to say to you, Sakura," he spoke nonchalantly, completely dismissing her. He even closed his eyes, as if not wanting to spare her a glance.

She felt really hurt because of his behavior. But, she really did not want to show any weakness in front of him like the last time, so she continued with her talk, "You really have nothing to say to me? I am so disappointed in you, Sasuke." The tone in her voice was so biting that it almost made him wince.

However, he decided to just act like his usual self, so he grunted in response, "Hn."

Naruto looked at him with disbelief shining in his bright blue eyes, but the fury was very fast to rise out on the open. He did not even hesitate when he shouted at him angrily, "Why won't you tell her the truth? Are you planning on chickening out... again?"

"Shut up, dobe!" Sasuke spat, before turning to glare at Naruto. He tried to give him a warning to keep his mouth shut, because this was his personal matter and he was the one that had to deal with it. He felt like this was the point where he should make Naruto step away. After all, he was already tired of him and his stupid plans that always ended up as a disaster.

"Naruto, what truth?" Sakura asked seriously, while looking at them both. She was really surprised by their behavior, especially since it seemed like they were hiding something from her. "What the hell is going on?"

Naruto turned to look at her and he hesitantly rubbed the back of his neck. The small gesture was enough to make it obvious to Sakura that he was fairly nervous about something. "Well, Sakura-chan... you see, teme here..." he almost stuttered the words, while feeling a bit uneasy. It was really difficult for him to speak of Sasuke's feelings in front of Sakura.

"Speak!" she shouted at him, because she was unable to control herself any longer. This entire thing was making her feel very angry and the fact that the both of them behaved in a very peculiar way in the past few weeks was grating her nerves even more than before.

Seeing her angry was one thing, but once she had that menacing look in her eyes, Naruto knew that nothing good was coming. He was so afraid of witnessing her wrath that he could not help himself any longer. "It all started because he was checking you out," he sang out like a bird in the morning.

Sakura's eyes widened in shock, before she screeched, "WHAT!"

"I will be completely honest with you. Sasuke likes you," Naruto said, feeling a bit more determined than before. He really wanted to get this over with and see them together. Even he felt tired after executing so many plans that turned out to be complete failures.

Sakura surprised them both when she started to laugh out loud. "This must be the lamest excuse ever, because that's like totally not possible!" she spoke, before continuing with her laughter. At least, she was not angry anymore.

Sasuke felt a rip inside his chest as he watched her laugh at the idea of him feeling something for her. He really did not expect her to react in such a way, but apparently she believed him to be a cold bastard. He admitted to himself that he deserved some of it, but still he could not help but feel hurt. Then, he just decided to leave and try to forget about her and this entire thing. "I'm out of here," he said, as he turned toward the door.

"No, you stay right where you are," she commanded in a tone that was really menacing, before rounding up on the blond. "Naruto, just spit it out. I promise I won't hit you."

"But, I'm telling the truth. The teme likes you for real," he said, trying his best to give her an honest look.

By the way he looked at her, with open honesty in his eyes, she realized that he was telling the truth. She did not hesitate to look at Sasuke and seeing him look so helpless in the middle of her room made her feel so guilty for laughing. She was beyond shocked, that she was rendered speechless; she really did not know what to say.

"I wanted to help him to hook up with you, but not everything turned out the way I planned," Naruto continued with his explanation, but Sakura was not even paying attention to his voice. She just kept staring at Sasuke.

"Naruto, leave!" Sasuke suddenly shouted at him.

"But, teme―" the blond tried to speak, but he was cut off by the last Uchiha in a very harsh way.

"Leave!" he repeated, before taking on a much calmer tone. "I want to speak to Sakura."

She barely registered what was happening, but she kept blankly staring at the ground. She could no longer look at Sasuke, so the ground was the next best thing. She hoped that she will be able to overcome the shock soon, but apparently she was still unable to grasp the reality of what just happened.

Once Naruto was out of the room, Sasuke turned to look at Sakura. Witnessing the look of utter shock upon her face made him feel a bit hesitant about what he was planning to do in the next minute. "Sakura, look at me," he said, but his voice was more a whisper than anything. The instant she lifted her head and looked at him, he felt relief wash over him ― he was just glad that she heard him and that she was still coherent enough to listen to what he had to say to her.

"Sasuke-kun..." she whispered his name, almost desperately.

"What?" he asked, without knowing why he did so. He should have just been honest with her and never let things to escalate to this point where they were both almost rendered speechless. At that moment, he just felt that he should let her speak.

"Is it true?" she asked, as she kept staring at him.

He stared back and could not help but notice so many emotions flowing in her green eyes. "Yes," he said, never turning his eyes away from hers, because he somehow felt drawn to them. "I should have told you myself, but I couldn't do it."

Her heart swelled because of the honestly she saw in his eyes. She was silent for a long minute, not being able to find words to say. Finally, she asked, "How long?"

"Three months," he answered, some of the hesitance he felt slipping away. He started to feel more determined than before, as if he had enough strength to tell her how he truly felt.

"But, how?" she asked, feeling slightly confused. It was no secret that she avoided him on more than several occasions in the past months. Ever since he came back, she kind of felt like she was annoying him with her presence, so she decided to keep her distance. Now, she was really confused, because he was telling her that despite all of that he fell for her. "How could have this happened?" she whispered, once again, turning her stare toward the ground.

"I really have no idea, Sakura," he spoke honestly.

"I really don't know what to..." she tried to speak, but she was unable to continue because she suddenly did not know what to say to him.

He came to stand in front of her and at that moment he just wanted for her to look at him, so he gripped her by her shoulders. "Sakura, I... I'm really sorry I hurt you. I never meant to..." His voice was filled with so much desperation that she could not help but want to look at him.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun..." she spoke, a small smile stretching on her face. The last thing she wanted was to see him blame himself for everything that happened in the past. She loved him too much and because of that she did not want to see him suffer. He suffered enough and now it was her turn to finally help him overcome the bad memories.

In a fleeting second he just decided to be finally honest with himself, but most importantly with her, so he confessed, "I did so many mistakes and I don't know if there is a chance for me to fix any of them... but, I really do, Sakura... I want to fix everything." He still had his hands round her arms as he held her close to him.

"I believe you, but―" she started to say, but he cut her off.

"Please, forgive me," he apologized with a deeply sincere voice. The look in his eyes held such longing that she couldn't believe that she was actually staring in _his_ eyes and witnessing such emotion in them.

The emotions were overwhelming her, so she could not contain herself any longer. "I already forgave you. My feelings can never possibly change," she declared in front of him, feeling such pleasant release by finally saying what lay on her heart for years.

He stared at her, feeling a nervous flutter in his chest. "Do you still...?" he could not find the strength to finish the question, but she understood him well.

"You really shouldn't ask, Sasuke-kun," she said, a huge smile spreading on her lips. "My confession still stands, because it was meant for forever."

"But, in your diary..." he spoke, a bit hesitantly, but he held her eyes because he wanted to find the answer himself.

"You read that..." she trailed off, turning to look away. She just thought that it might be best if she was honest with him, because there was no turning back. What happened in the past should stay in the past, but she did not want to keep secrets from him, so she spoke, "Well, I will be honest with you... I tried to forget about you, erase these feelings, but I found out that... it's impossible, because... because you mean so much to me, Sasuke-kun." Then, she flashed him with the most sincere and loving smile she could muster.

At that point, he felt like his heart would burst out of his chest with how fast it was beating. He wondered if she felt exactly the same way. Hearing her say those words ― that he meant so much to her ― it was like he was looking at the Sakura he knew, the one that loved him with all her heart. Now, he finally realized that her feelings never changed and that he always had a precious place in her heart. In that instant, he felt the necessity to give her what she always wanted... his heart.

"Sakura... I think that I should tell you something," he spoke, as he gently touched the soft skin on her cheek.

"What is it?" she asked, looking at him in a curios way. She had never witnessed such behavior from him, so she could hardly grasp the moment as real.

He took a steadying breath, before gathering enough courage to spill his most inner feelings in front of the girl that held his heart. The moment he stared at her eyes with open sincerity, he spoke, "I... I know that I should have told you this a long time ago, but... I guess I never felt the same way, because I never let myself feel anything other than hate..." he trailed off, never turning to look away from her. He lifted his other hand so he can hold her face close to his, before continuing, "So, Sakura, this is _my_ confession to you..." Then, he paused for a moment.

Sakura gasped, feeling her heart skip a beat, because of what was coming next.

"I love you," he finally said those three words she desperately wanted to hear and never believed that he would actually say them. But, he did and she was there standing right in front of him, with him giving her the smallest of smiles. She could not believe that there was a more beautiful feeling than what she experienced at that moment. Hearing him confess and seeing him with a smile on his face was definitely a dream come true.

It took her a small second to finally embrace him. She pressed her cheek so tightly against his chest, because she did not want to let him go. "I love you, too, Sasuke-kun," she said happily, feeling the joyful tears prickle her eyes. "...so, so much!" she added a moment later, intensifying her embrace, which he gladly returned.

When she felt like it was enough and that she should let him go, she took a step back. However, in only a second he brought her closer to him once again, by holding her by her slim waist. Then, he leaned in and kissed her.

Somehow they ended up lying on her bed, while sharing many kisses. At one point he smirked slyly at her and as he removed the towel she used to cover herself, he spoke, "You won't need this anymore."

"Oh, really?" she asked, a shy smile stretching on her face. She already felt the heat rise to her cheeks.

"Yes, really," he answered, before leaning in to kiss her for the umpteenth time that day. At that moment, he just told himself that kissing her was definitely one of the best things he ever experienced.

_-the end-_

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><p><strong>AN:** I was going on a rampage here, with my thoughts and ideas, of course. So, I hope you'll forgive me if this turned out to be more confusing than I planned it to be. Please, tell me what you really think... I won't get offended. Thank you for reading!


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